New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1887-04-14
SAWDUST THIEVES CAUGHT.
FOUND DIRECTING NOTICES TO DUPEs.

THEIR QUARTERS WERE OPPOSITE CAPTAIN Kill
LILEA's STATION AND HE TOOK THEM IN.
Police Captain Killilea informed about two
weeks ago tnat gang of "green-goods' swindlers
had hired the entire second door of the double fiat
house No. 1872 West Forty yseventhst. nearly opposite
bis station The bodness of the rogues, who chose to
conduct their business OF cheating almost under his
nose, made his blood boil with indignation. but the
opportunity to catch them too good to be lost and
he set close watch the house. 1t was his plan to
wait until they had brought to their den some green
horn from the country who could be used as witness
against them but he knew that it the practice OF
such swinders to change their place of business ire
quently, and he did not dare to delay raid too long
There were four young men in the gang. and they
were shadowcd by Detectives Reilly, Lawles and
Sweeney.
lt was taken for granted that the rascals had scat
tered throughout the country the usual number OF
circulars pretending to o1eI counterfeit money Tor
sale and would receive letters from ignorant dupes
The FIST point to settle the method OF collecting
these Letters The detectives ascertaiDed that all the
letters received Tor the band at cigar stores and
liquor stores in Seventh and Eighth aves and cross
streets Fearing that the swndlers would move away
without giving him an opportunity to catch them in
| company with of their victims, Captain killilea
invaded their rooms yesterday morning and arrested
them.. They were registered at the police station as
Forty ST. William j. Brown age twenty-six
photographer, No. 227 West Forty third St; George
Twenty and George Plotts age tW enty three
salesman, No. $50 West Forty-nintnst. st.
Little, who iii TO DO the chict swindlei OF tho
lot, the only who would admit having home
In the Hat house but the police we're confident that
the others lived there with him, and that they had
given fictitious addresses They had occupied two sets
OF rooms in the house The east fiat furnished IN
good style toI housekeeping and there we're indca-
tions that the rogues had not been without female
comPanionship in the rooms There was niue iuTni
plements and literature OF the "sawdust game"
When Captain Killilca and his entered the rooms
they found the swndlers seated at long table, busy
addressing green goods" circulars to correspondents
n small towns in various parts OF the United states and
Canada These circulars were in the usual ~heedling
duced prices, and inviting the dupes to ccme to the
city and get rich. There were also bogus extracts
from newspapers alleging that Government experts
could not tell the countereits from genuine bank
notes. Those were 10 be mailed with the circulars.
In the rooms also were found materials which
showed how the greenhorns wero deceived Six black
leather satches, all alike, we're in closet Two oil
them contained bricks and brown paper. Others con
tanned packages of I" "sawdust" money, each package
having q genuine bank note on top and waste paper
inside. There counterfeit money, put the
police seized 81, ,O60 in good greenbacks which the
swindlers had hand to be counted out before the
countrymen who were to he heeced. There were nun
dTeds of letters from dupes in distant towns The ad
dresses OF most OF them had been culod from seven
teen mercantile agency books which the police seized
Tho rogues had curious system OF keeping track OF
their victims. Each correspondents name was writ
ten IN q separate small notebook. Ono, book con-
tanned this entry
Wa Black Kennedy Ala wants TO do bu sness In room
will let him hoelhas money with CLERK and VIII ic
him pay AZ hotel
This record showed that the rascas dealing with
a cautious man:
Louis 0erstnsr Morgan, Mss wants 10 let tho women
know-about $3.50 or 1900 win put his money IN bank
Most OF the dupcs had been advised TO go to the Ross
moro Hotel the Hotel Madison the ST Denis Hote
upon their arrival In the city One entry showed that
rival firm OF swindors had gobbled up dupc.
Robert D. sands Friend Post Oce Neb came on without
waiting for Instructions picked up and beat
II was plain from the address the envelopes which
contained the letters from correspondents that inc
rogues had used assumed names Among the addresses
wero following; Charles AsLlingon cigar store NO.
033 Eighthaye; T. r. Spencer, No. 3i3 East thirty
fourhst; A. h Rubbing. cigar dealer. No 20 seventh
ave, ~ J. lanes, No. 725 seventhave, and y. Aaams
No y7i West Thirty -ninth-st, bakery. There
were number OF addresses Of liquor stores and Captain
klilea will send them TO Superintendent Murray Inc
Excise Board will be asked 20 revoke the licenses Tor
those stores Two opium pipes and quantity OF opium
were found in the den They INDICATED that there was
an oium Joint IA the ar but said that Little did
all tho smoking there. lie Is small man, with saow
com Die xion and looks like an opium smoker.
The prisoners cheerfuly admitted that they were In
the business OF swindling countrymen but they knew
that the police could not make charge OF swindng In
the absence OF victims who could make complaints. In
tho afternoon they taken before United states Com
missioner shelds n charge Of violating the postal
laws They were held In $500 each for examination
today.